Would I go totally wrong in buying a new Stanley Block Plane? I don’t know a lot about planes being new to woodworking. But I do know I need at least a block plane to do a little touch up now and then. I notice that most of the high end ones are three to four times more expensive than the Stanley. Would it suffice until I gain more expertise?

-- Bill - If I knew GRANDKIDS were so much fun I would have had them first.

10 replies so far

A block plane is one of the more useful ones in the plane series. The Stanley plane works fine but you will need to sharpen the blade on it. Whether it be a chisel or plane, newly purchased tools do not have much of an edge on them.

But, as with most tools, you tend to get what you pay for. I have a two Stanley block planes that I use for general applications whereby I need to pare down wood quickly. But the use of these is extremely limited for furniture woodworking projects.

-- Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful- Joshua Marine

Bill – I have the Stanley low angle block plane and it’s ok for general purpose use. As Scott said you’ll need to sharpen the blade. I also have the Veritas low angle block plane and it’s WAY better than the Stanley for fine work.

So—- if you are only going to use the plane once in a while – the Stanley properly sharped is ok. But if it will get more use – I’d go with a nicer plane.

Also you could get an older used stanley plane. Look for one with an adjustable mouth such as a Stanley 9 1/2, 18, 60, or 65. Try to get at least one Standard Angle and One Low Angle. Info on different Stanley planes can be found here http://www.supertool.com/StanleyBG/stan0a.html

I only have the less expensive planes right now. What I have learned is using one from the box. And then tuning one up as much as you can makes a world of difference! As mentioned before you may recieve the plane with a sharp edge. But its not truly sharp as it should be. Especially for light touch up use you are considering. After reading up on planes, I took my cheapies and flattened the soles (2 of them took quite a bit). Sharpened the irons to scary sharp. And squared the opening. They still have limitations, but the difference between recieving them and now is a big difference.

I have been looking at some older good quality planes on ebay but have not bid on one yet. There are some deals to be had if willing to spend time cleaning one up. The LV and LN’s are out of my price range at the moment.

-- Ben, Living the good life in Maine now (almost, just need to retire in 2 decades time)

I’ve had better luck at flea markets for block planes. If you know what your looking for, you can find a deal here or there. The #65 in the photo beliow is a restored #65 that I purchased for about $20 and added a hock blade to. It’s performance is on par with the LN 60 1/2 it is shown with.

Bill,If you want something to start out with I would suggest the Stanley Low Angle Block Plane with the adjustable mouth.When you take out of its package you first need to remove coating from the sole and on the blade. This is put on to stop rust while it is being shipped. I remove it with paint stripper. Then as Ben suggested tune it up. I use float glass and psa sandpaper I buy by the roll to flatten the bottom. You want the bottom to look like a mirror, then wax it. I would put a Hock blade in it, or at the very least do a really good job sharpening the blade it comes with.There are a few other steps you still need to take to get it tune up all the way. There are some links above or you can contact myself or one of the other members to walk you through it.Good Luck,

Start from where you are. It’s the only way lest ye be in for an expensive and ultimately frustrating journey. To some extent, you can buy performance but nothing teaches you like earning performance. Lap the sole, make sure the mouth is square, sharpen the blade as best you can and let fly!

I’ve got a L-N #102 and a Stanley #103 and they both see a lot of use—the Stanley gets the rough work and the L-N gets the easy stuff. Ultimately, buy as much performance as you can afford and learn the tool.

always,J.C.

-- When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world. -- John Muir